The Cottage Alston

The Cottage is one of three barns converted about ten years ago. They're behind our house, about a mile outside Alston. You're up high here, it's one of the highest towns in England. The views are good, over the South Tyne Valley towards Mount Hooley.

It sleeps four. Two bedrooms, one bathroom. It's got a 3 Star rating. It's clean and comfortable, not luxurious. The main room is open plan. There's a wood burning stove, which is nice in the evening.

You have your own little garden area to sit out. There's also a shared hot tub that all three cottages can use. The view from there is the same, over the valley.

Alston is a mile away. It's a proper old market town with a cobbled main street. There are a few shops, pubs that do food, and a couple of tea rooms. The South Tynedale Railway, which is a narrow gauge steam railway, starts there too.

You're right on the Pennine Way. You can walk straight out the door onto it. For other walks, the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is all around. There's an old Roman fort at Whitley Castle, about two miles away. Hadrian's Wall is about a 30 minute drive.

Further out, you can get to the northern edge of the Lake District in under an hour. Carlisle is about 40 minutes. Newcastle and the Metro Centre are just over an hour.

Facilities: it has a dishwasher, washing machine, TV, WiFi. Bedding and towels are included. Parking is right outside. You can bring up to two dogs. There's bike storage if you need it.

Useful links: North Pennines AONB, Pennine Way National Trail, and for the Roman sites, English Heritage Hadrian's Wall.